The Ravens aimed to conclude the regular season with a triumph, but what lies ahead is much more crucial.
By resting some crucial players against the archrival Steelers after securing the No. 1 seed and the AFC North the previous week, the Ravens suffered a 17-10 defeat in rainy, windy conditions at M&T Bank Stadium. The Ravens, finishing the season at 13-4, are eagerly anticipating the postseason as the team to beat in the AFC, being the No. 1 seed with a first-round bye.
Here are my five points on a Saturday game that concluded a special regular season for Baltimore:
In This Circumstance, Losing to the Steelers Doesn’t Have the Typical Sting
The Ravens never enjoy losing to the Steelers (10-7), especially twice in the same season. Nonetheless, the Steelers had much more at stake in their battle to make the playoffs and emerged victorious by the same score that they defeated the Ravens by in Week 5.
Having completed all their regular season objectives and looking forward to the playoffs, the Ravens won’t dwell on this loss. The AFC North was exceptionally competitive this year, and the Ravens emerged as the winners. How competitive is this division? If the Bengals defeat the Browns on Sunday, it would mark the first occasion that all four teams in the same division finish with a winning record since the NFL-AFL merger in 1970.
A special team was required to win the AFC North this year, and the Ravens were that team, navigating through a series of top-quality opponents in the second half of the season.
Now they can pursue something greater. They’re not focused on the Steelers. They’re focused on winning the Super Bowl.
“We’ve crafted numerous chapters in our book that have positioned us quite well at this point,” Patrick Queen remarked. “We have a week to prepare to discover who we’re going to play. No one is dismayed. If we face those guys again, we’ll be prepared.”
John Harbaugh Foresees No Major Injuries From This Game
In a game with no playoff implications, it was vital to emerge from it unharmed.
Head Coach John Harbaugh stated that he believed none of the injuries sustained in this game would affect anyone’s availability for the playoffs. Safety Geno Stone (knee), who heads the AFC with seven interceptions, departed the game in the second half, as did Brent Urban (concussion) and Del’Shawn Phillips (shoulder), while Odafe Oweh (ankle) was injured in the first half. Nevertheless, Harbaugh provided a positive update after the game.
“I think it looks we got through OK,” Harbaugh said. “Some of them looked a little tough. It looks like we got through okay health-wise,” Harbaugh said. “Right now, it looks like we would have all those guys back for the Divisional Game.”
That was great news for the Ravens. The Steelers may not have been as fortunate, after star edge rusher T.J. Watt went down with a knee injury. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Watt may not be available in the Wild Card round if the Steelers make it. Pittsburgh needs a loss Sunday by either the Jaguars or Bills to get in the postseason.
